File fastener



March 7, 1967 R. s. MURPHY 3,307,234

FILE FASTENER Filed Sept. 21, 1 964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E a. J.

r l l I f INVENTOR. 9 /6 /Z /0 ,aW/wA/fi 5. MUZPHV March 7, 1967 R. s.MURPHY 3,307,234

- FILE FASTENER Filed Sept. 21, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United StatesPatent 3,307,234 FILE FASTENER Raymond S. Murphy, Bakersfield, Calif.,assignor to Intex Oil Company, Bakersfield, Calif a corporation ofCalifornia Filed Sept. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 397,902 2 Claims. (Cl. 24153)This invention relates to a fastener for fastening documents in files.

It is a feature of this invention that a file fastener is achieved in aunitary one-piece construction.

It is a further feature of this invention that it is essentially an Accofastener with the separate piece being discarded and replaced byinterlocking means carried by the two tongues.

These and other objects, features and advantages will be apparent fromthe annexed specification in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective elevation of the bottom piece prior to theattachment of the interlocking means;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 with the interlocking meanshaving been cemented in place;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary perspective of the device in its closedposition;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary elevation in section taken along the line 44of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective elevation of a file fastener embodying thepresent invention in modified form;

FIGURE 6 is a section taken along the line 66 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary side elevation of this modified form in closedposition; and

FIGURE 8 is a section taken along the line 8-8 of FIGURE 7.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the invention consistsin a base plate 10, a tongue 11 attached at one end and a tongue 12attached at the other end of the base plate. On the inner side of tongue11 is ce mented a plastic member 13 and on the exterior of tongue 12there is cemented a cooperative plastic member 14. As is shown in FIGURE4, the plastic member 13 is provided with a pair of longitudinal grooves15 and 16, while the plastic member 14 is provided with a matching pairof longitudinal ridges 17 and 18. The heads of the ridges 17 and 18 arelarger than the openings in the grooves 15 and 16, but are receivedtherein with a snap fit becaue being preferably formed of polyethyleneplastic the member 13 has enough resiliency to receive the members 17and 18. From FIGURE 3 it will be obvious that in use the tongues arebent down so as to have the tongue 11 overlying the tongue 12 as shownin FIGURE 3. It will thus be seen that a workable fastener is formed onone piece which permits discarding the separate locking piece in commonuse today.

Referring now more particularly to FIGURES 5 through 8, there is shown amodified embodiment of the invention in which there is a base plate 10awith tongues 11a and 12 attached to the ends thereof. The base plate 10aand tongues 11a and 12a are integral and formed of a plastic material inwhich is embedded one or more stiffening wires 20 and 21. In thisembodiment the members 13a and 14a bear the grooves 15a and 16a and themember 14ar is provided with a matching pair of longitudinal ridges 17aand 18a which, like the other embodiment, have heads on the ridgeslarger than the openings in the grooves. The members 13a and 14a areintegral with the base plate 10a and the tongues 11a and 12a and allformed of the same plastic material.

While there has been described what is considered a preferred embodimentof the present invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the artthat various changes and modifications may be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and it is intended to coverherein all such changes and modifications as come within the true spiritand scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A file fastener comprising a base, a pair of tongues integral withsaid base and extending one from each end thereof, said base and tonguesbeing formed of a malleable material, a first plastic member cemented tothe inside of one of said tongues, and a second plastic member cementedto the outside of the other of said tongues, one of said plastic membershaving a pair of longitudinal grooves and the other of said plasticmembers having a matching pair of longitudinal ridges adapted to fit insaid grooves to hold said tongues together when folded inwardly intocontacting position.

2. A file fastener as set forth in claim 1 in which said ridges areprovided with heads and in which said grooves have an opening smallerthan said heads whereby said ridges enter said grooves only bystretching said grooves open.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,328,268 8/1943Gelfand 24-l53 2,345,484 3/1944 Krumiwiede 24153 3,074,133 1/1963 Jones.

FOREIGN PATENTS 507,101 11/1951 Belgium. 1,007,056 2/ 1952 France.1,176,188 11/1958 France.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Examiner.

1. A FILE FASTENER COMPRISING A BASE, A PAIR OF TONGUES INTEGRAL WITHSAID BASE AND EXTENDING ONE FROM EACH END THEREOF, SAID BASE AND TONGUESBEING FORMED OF A MALLEABLE MATERIAL, A FIRST PLASTIC MEMBER CEMENTED TOTHE INSIDE OF ONE OF SAID TONGUES, AND A SECOND PLASTIC MEMBER CEMENTEDTO THE OUTSIDE OF THE OTHER OF SAID TONGUES, ONE OF SAID PLASTIC MEMBERSHAVING A PAIR OF LONGITUDINAL GROOVES AND THE OTHER OF SAID PLASTICMEMBERS HAVING A MATCHING PAIR OF LONGITUDINAL RIDGES ADAPTED TO FIT INSAID GROOVES TO HOLD SAID TONGUES TOGETHER WHEN FOLDED INWARDLY INTOCONTACTING POSITION.